6 Places To Stay On Your Vancouver Getaway

By Julie Ovenell July 28, 2020

Note: This story was originally published in 2021.

Way back in the Before Times—like, 2019—the thought of a summer holiday at home probably held about as much appeal as trying to cut your own hair, or homeschooling a 10-year-old while practising tort law from the guest bedroom.

And the only bubbles that really mattered came in Champagne flutes and soaker tubs.

2021 calls for fewer faces, bigger spaces, and more time outside. It’s not every global city that can offer so much elbow room, but with a thousand acres of park right in the heart of downtown, plenty of public gardens and outdoor patios, and miles of nearby beaches and bike trails, it’s easy to keep your bubble intact in Vancouver.

And there’s no better time to take that bubble for an overnight at a city hotel, where prices are sweet and the perks are sweeter: dips in a pool, comfy beds with pretty views, menus from top-notch chefs, exciting attractions to enjoy, and proximity to nature (think: the seawall). Plus, indoors, you’re guaranteed to encounter a whole new standard of cleanliness and care, thanks to increased safety and hygiene protocols.

So, whether you’re craving me-time or we-time, the city’s top hotels have some great suggestions for well-deserved mini-breaks that promise to leave BC residents refreshed and resolved to keep up their healthy habits.

Here are just a few Vancouver getaway favourites—visit Tourism Vancouver and Stay Vancouver to check out more great ideas for this year’s summer vacation.

Habitat Island in False Creek with views of Yaletown and Cycling around Stanley Park, Grant Harder | The rooftop pool deck in downtown Vancouver, Tourism Vancouver / Fairmont Pacific Rim

Fairmont Pacific Rim Patio Pop-Up | Leila Kwok

Fairmont Pacific Rim

This Vancouver Fairmont is taking its luxe vibe outside: the new Pacific Rim Patio Pop-Up on the hotel’s front plaza is now open daily from noon to 8 p.m.—the perfect place to sip, nibble, and natter. The 8,500 square foot (790 square metre) Willow Stream Spa offers stunning views, with nine treatment areas (and a treatment suite for couples to enjoy), a Nail Spa, three lounges and spa terrace.

Safety Measures include:

Enhanced cleaning of rooms and shared spaces
Pool deck capacity (reservations can be made upon check-in)
Visit their safety website for more information

Panoramic harbour views, Pan Pacific Vancouver

Pan Pacific Vancouver

It’s the easiest thing in the world to step out into the beauty of nature thanks to the Pan Pacific’s central waterfront location, but fair warning: you probably won’t get farther than the pool. Boasting unobstructed views of Coal Harbour, Stanley Park, and the North Shore Mountains, it’s an Instagram-worthy backdrop for some all-day, welcome-to-the-good-life lounging. Consider ramping up the R&R with a visit to Spa Utopia.

Safety Measures include:

Enhanced cleaning of rooms and shared spaces
Additional training for staff
Visit their safety website for more information

Poolside cabanas with a view | Tourism Vancouver / The Westin Bayshore

The Westin Bayshore

Make like Grace Kelly in It Takes a Thief and sip Champagne in one of the Bayshore’s beautiful poolside cabanas—open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (reservations are required and open to hotel guests only). Guests can also book a Liquid Yoga class on floating mats in the pool. Or, don your best sunnies for a slow stroll (with ice cream) along the tree-lined Coal Harbour seawall. Keep going all the way around Stanley Park if you just can’t stop admiring the views that made you fall in love with Vancouver in the first place.

Safety Measures include:

Enhanced cleaning of rooms and shared spaces
Face coverings required in all public areas
Contactless service
Visit their safety website for more information

Views from the Aqua Lounge | JW Marriott Parq Vancouver

JW Marriott Parq Vancouver

Straddling two high-energy neighbourhoods—Yaletown and Gastown—this five-star luxury hotel is the right choice for a romantic night in with your bubble bestie. Indulge in the spa, where services range from personalized RMT massages to nail and body treatments, then order in a special room-service meal, or take a meal to go and picnic en plein air in nearby Coopers’ Park.

Safety Measures include:

Enhanced cleaning of rooms and shared spaces
Face coverings required in all public areas
Contactless service
Visit their safety website for more information

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Tanya Goehring | False Creek passenger ferry by the Cambie Street Bridge, Nelson Mouellic | Viewing the river from great heights, Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Views of Granville Island and False Creek from the Dockside Restaurant at Granville Island Hotel | @docksidevancouver

Granville Island Hotel

Beloved by tourists the world over, Granville Island has a little more room for locals at the moment. The Granville Island Hotel—with easy access to the market and artisan galleries, as well as the Aquabus and seawall—is the perfect launch pad for a foot-friendly city getaway. The Dockside Restaurant is open for patio dining, and when you need a little snack, Lee’s Donuts in the market is worth lining up for (the line is now out of doors).

Safety Measures include:

Enhanced cleaning of rooms and shared spaces
Only registered hotel guests and restaurant patrons have access to the hotel
Paperless check-in
Individual air conditioning in each room to limit re-circulated air
Guest rooms have windows that open for fresh air
Complimentary masks
Hand sanitizer throughout the facility
Visit their safety website for more information

Corner superior suite, Seaside Hotel North Vancouver

Seaside Hotel

Located just a short SeaBus ride away from downtown, the chic Seaside Hotel near North Vancouver’s scenic Shipyards District makes a great base for exploring the North Shore’s hiking and biking trails, or much-loved attractions such as the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain. The aptly named Provisions restaurant can set you up with a picnic lunch, and at the end of the day you can recover during happy hour on the patio—with buck-a-shuck oysters!—or a relaxing massage at the Waterfront Spa. This is also a prime location to explore The Brewery District, comprised of craft breweries, pubs, and eateries along Lonsdale, 1st Street, and Esplanade.

Safety Measures include:

Enhanced cleaning of rooms and shared spaces
Physical distancing throughout the hotel and at check-in
Additional employee training
Visit their safety website for more information

Book your perfect Vancouver getaway: visit tourismvancouver.com/love/places-to-stay for great deals and ideas!

MENTIONED IN THIS STORY

Spas & Wellness, Hotels, Accessibility

Fairmont Pacific Rim

This ultramodern downtown hotel offers unobstructed mountain and harbour views, combining the best of the Pacific Rim in its architecture and...

Phone: (604) 695-5300

View Listing

Hotels

Pan Pacific Vancouver

The Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel is luxuriously appointed with a wide selection of modern hotel amenities, with its waterfront restaurants and...

Phone: (604) 662-8111

View Listing

Hotels

The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver

Nestled on the shores of Coal Harbour in Vancouver, Canada, overlooking historic 1,000-acre Stanley Park via its picturesque seawall and the North...

Phone: (604) 682-3377

View Listing

Spas & Wellness, Hotels

JW Marriott Parq Vancouver

Soaring high above the skyline in the heart of downtown Vancouver, Canada, with the majestic mountains of British Columbia's pristine coast as a...

Phone: (604) 676-0888

View Listing

Hotels

Granville Island Hotel

The Granville Island Hotel, a boutique hotel, offers a one-of-a kind experience. With welcoming staff to greet, a restaurant and lounge to entice,...

Phone: (604) 683-7373

View Listing

Attractions, Museums & Heritage Sites, Accessibility

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Only 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver, allow 2 - 3 hours for your visit to Vancouver's iconic Capilano Suspension Bridge, hanging 450 feet...

Phone: (604) 985-7474

View Listing

Spas & Wellness, Hotels, Accessibility

Fairmont Pacific Rim

This ultramodern downtown hotel offers unobstructed mountain and harbour views, combining the best of the Pacific Rim in its architecture and...

Phone: (604) 695-5300

View Listing

Hotels

Pan Pacific Vancouver

The Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel is luxuriously appointed with a wide selection of modern hotel amenities, with its waterfront restaurants and...

Phone: (604) 662-8111

View Listing

Hotels

The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver

Nestled on the shores of Coal Harbour in Vancouver, Canada, overlooking historic 1,000-acre Stanley Park via its picturesque seawall and the North...

Phone: (604) 682-3377

View Listing

Spas & Wellness, Hotels

JW Marriott Parq Vancouver

Soaring high above the skyline in the heart of downtown Vancouver, Canada, with the majestic mountains of British Columbia's pristine coast as a...

Phone: (604) 676-0888

View Listing

Hotels

Granville Island Hotel

The Granville Island Hotel, a boutique hotel, offers a one-of-a kind experience. With welcoming staff to greet, a restaurant and lounge to entice,...

Phone: (604) 683-7373

View Listing

Attractions, Museums & Heritage Sites, Accessibility

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Only 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver, allow 2 - 3 hours for your visit to Vancouver's iconic Capilano Suspension Bridge, hanging 450 feet...

Phone: (604) 985-7474

View Listing

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